This is probably the most familiar format for schools -- separate assemblies for several grade levels gathered together in one large space, typically grouped K-3, 4-6, 7-8, etc.

These performances -- up to 3 in a school day -- can be for any size group (generally 100 to 300 students) and must be in a space where all students can see and hear Doug comfortably.

Advantages:

large group excitement,

easy to schedule,

reaches large numbers of students with a single program,

provides children with school community experience.

Disadvantages:

less-personal setting for storytelling performances,

not as many student opportunities for participation or contact with performer,

performances must be geared toward wide age span.

Special Needs: When Doug travels by car, he brings his own sound system. (Otherwise, you will need to provide one.) These performances are typically 45-50 minutes in length, or 35 minutes if there are a significant number of preschoolers.

Considering the many advantages of Small Group Assemblies and the fact that a full day of small groups costs only $50 more than two large group assemblies, this format is the arrangement chosen by many schools.
"Small Group Assemblies" is a full day of performances for smaller groups of one or two classes at a time -- usually 15 to 60 students -- gathered in a classroom, library or music room for anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes -- the day's schedule is up to you. Doug usually performs for 5-8 small groups in a school day.

Advantages:

provides the greater impact, sense of closeness and personal contact that is characteristic and supportive of the storytelling art form,

more opportunities for student participation and interaction with Doug and his instruments

question and answer periods can flourish,

can feature material best suited for specific age group,

material can be integrated with the curriculum or interests of each particular group,

scheduling can be individualized and is flexible according to each grade's needs,

groups hear different stories allowing them to tell "their" stories to other groups.

Disadvantages:

more effort to organize the day's schedule,

depending on school size, it may take more than a day for Doug to visit an entire school (although a large group assembly may be combined with a day of small groups -- a format that can allow Doug to visit all students in a day,)

teachers must be consulted to take advantage of teacher request option.

Special Needs:

If teachers would like Doug to integrate stories into current units of study, Doug needs to receive themes as well as the day's schedule one to two weeks in advance.

Scheduling is done by the school and may start and end with your usual school day schedule.

The day's schedule should allow for a 40 minute lunch break and 10 minutes between performances. Performance times can vary from 30 to 60 minutes.

A Mini-Residency is a two- to five-day visit by Doug to your school -- on consecutive days or spaced over several weeks. There are several ways Doug can work at your school within this sort of framework:

Doug can perform and/or lead "workshop" sessions for each class in the school (up to 30 students in a group);

Doug can work with classes more than once to extend skills or concepts;

Doug can meet with each class once, but work with a core group of selected students more than once to extend skills or work toward:

a student storytelling performance,

an interviewing project,

specific music skills,

an oral history project, or

other language arts related tasks.

Advantages:

takes full advantage of Doug's acclaimed teaching skills,

much greater impact than a one-day visit,

flexible scheduling,

students have repeated opportunities to try new skills, receive follow-up assistance, and pose their evolving questions to an expert in the field,

teachers have the opportunity to observe new teaching techniques and activities.

Disadvantages:

extra effort to organize the Mini-Residency schedule,

to take advantage of teacher requests and curriculum integration, teachers must be consulted,

requires a multi-day financial and educational commitment.

Special Needs:

If teachers would like Doug to integrate stories into current units of study, Doug needs to receive themes as well as the day's schedule one to two weeks in advance.

Scheduling is done by the school and may start and end with your usual school day schedule.

The day's schedule should allow for a 40 minute lunch break and 10 minutes between performances. Performance times can vary from 30 to 60 minutes.

Workshops provide opportunities for teachers and librarians to learn from Doug's storytelling, music and teaching skills. They typically range from 1 1/2 hours to 3 hours or can be presented in two or more sessions.

Doug can work with your entire staff, a part of your staff, or even with the combined staff of several schools. Groups can be of any size; groups of 15 or 20 can receive more individual attention and better coverage of requests and questions.

Relevant handouts are always included.

Workshop topics range from Beginning Storytelling to Participation Stories and Songs for Young Children; from Superhero Play to Learning Interviewing Skills through Storygames; from Guitar for Teachers and Parents to Collecting Oral History Tales.

Typically, Doug's community concerts combine storytelling with music in a way that brings all ages together in a participatory experience.

Programs are usually presented for family or adult audiences of 100 to 300 people and range from 35-45 minute programs for very young children to 2 hour adult concerts, but formats are flexible according to your needs and program ideas.

If there are a sizable number of preschoolers present, the maximum performance length should be:

A 30-minute set

a 10- to 15-minute break

another set of 20-30 minutes.

Parent-Teacher organizations sometimes like to present a community concert in conjunction with school visits.

Community concerts may be scheduled on any day of the week, including weekends and school vacation weeks.

When driving, Doug brings a sound system adequate for most halls seating up to 300 people. (Otherwise, you will need to provide one.) He requests a table for his fliers and a volunteer to sell his cassettes and books.